Nine more motorists hurt around area by crashes on Memorial Day weekend

By: Darrell Todd Maurina

PULASKI COUNTY, Mo. (May 31, 2010) — Memorial Day weekend closed for the Fort Leonard Wood area with two wrecks north of Pulaski County injuring three area residents on Sunday and a double crash Monday afternoon injuring six people and snarling westbound Interstate 44 on the downhill approach to the Roubidoux Creek Bridge.

According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, Patrick L. Anderson, 27, of Richland, had been driving a 1997 Ford eastbound on Highway 42 in Miller County near Black Moore Road when he passed an unknown vehicle near the crest of a hill at 1:30 a.m. Sunday and struck a westbound 1994 Acura head-on driven by Brandon C. Vann, 16, of Osage Beach.

Both vehicles were totaled by the wreck, came to rest off the north side of the roadway, and were removed by Hi Tech Towing.

Despite the head-on nature of the crash, both Anderson and Vann suffered only minor injuries; Anderson refused treatment at the scene and Vann opted to seek his own medical treatment without ambulance transport. Both had been wearing their seat belts.

Troopers reported that they arrested Anderson at 1:54 a.m. on charges of driving while intoxicated, misdemeanor charges of possession of a firearm while intoxicated and passing a vehicle and interfering with oncoming traffic. Anderson was transported to the Miller County Jail where he was eligible for bond.

Later on Sunday, Un S. Stafford, 75, of St. Robert, had been driving a 2002 Ford southbound at 10:05 p.m. Sunday on Highway 5 at U.S. Route 50 in Morgan County when she failed to stop at a stop sign, crossed U.S. Route 50 and went down an embankment, extensively damaging her vehicle and causing moderate injuries to her passenger, Kim H. Shultz, 55, also of St. Robert.

Shultz, who had not been wearing her seatbelt, was transported by ambulance to St. Mary’s Hospital. Stafford, who had been wearing her seatbelt, was not hurt.

Stafford’s vehicle was towed by Stockton’s.

Two separate Monday afternoon crashes on westbound Interstate 44 near the city limits between Waynesville and St. Robert totaled two vehicles, injured six people, and snarled traffic for hours.

State troopers reported that Kevin J. Williams, 55, of Tulsa, Okla., was driving a 1995 Ford Mustang westbound at 3:45 p.m. at the 158.8 mile marker when he slid off the left side of the roadway and collided with a rock embankment.

Williams suffered minor injuries and his passenger, Mary A. Starks, 50, also of Tulsa, suffered moderate injuries. Williams refused medical treatment and Starks was treated at the scene of the crash; both had been wearing their seatbelts.

About 15 minutes later, Trevor N. Shoop, 18, of Inola, Okla., was also westbound at mile marker 159 in a 1999 Dodge Ram pickup when he attempted to avoid cars that were slowing for the crash ahead, ran off the left side of the road, struck a guardrail, and went down an embankment. His pickup overturned and came to rest on the driver’s side with a towed trailer coming to rest on top of the pickup.

Shoop and one passenger, Dalton K. Cole, 20, of Pryor, Okla., both suffered moderate injuries; two other passengers, Tanner L. Shoop, 21, of Inola, and Macie L. Tarmenter, 16, of Steelville, both suffered minor injuries. All four had been wearing their seatbelts and were transported by Pulaski County Ambulance District personnel to Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla for treatment.

Both vehicles were removed by Jack’s Towing. The left lane remained blocked until 6:21 p.m., according to Missouri Department of Transportation reports.

In unrelated weekend arrests by state troopers in Pulaski County:

• Troopers arrested Zachary S. Woodman, 24, of St. Robert, at 9:15 p.m. Saturday on a Polk County warrant for failure to appear on a charge of passing bad checks. Woodman was taken to the Pulaski County Jail where he was eligible for bond.

• Troopers arrested Robert P. Woolf, 55, of Columbia, at 10:12 p.m. Saturday on charges of driving while intoxicated as an aggravated offender. Woolf was taken to the Pulaski County Jail where he was placed on a 24-hour hold.

• Troopers arrested Eduardo A. Juarez, 24, of St. Robert, at 2:18 p.m. Sunday on charges of driving while intoxicated, failure to drive on the right half of the roadway and speeding. Juarez was taken to the Pulaski County Jail where he was placed on a 12-hour hold.